David Beckham opens up on Messi joining Inter Miami, Phil Neville sacking, Glazers's time at Man united

The former England captain is one of United's legends and Inter Miami owner

One of David Beckham's favourite experiences in life was welcoming Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, he mentioned in an interview with the Athletic.

After months of rumours, Messi said last month that he would be travelling to the US to play for the team Beckham owns, turning down offers to relocate to Saudi Arabia and Barcelona.

Beckham is happy he was able to complete a deal for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and he has already notched three goals in the first two matches for his new team.

'I never thought I would have the same feeling as an owner as I had when I was a player,' Beckham told The Athletic.

'When I got the phone call (to confirm Messi was joining), I had the feeling I had when I walked out at Old Trafford or Wembley. I was like, "We’ve just beaten all competition to sign the greatest player to ever play our game".

'This will be up there with the biggest moves in American sporting history.'

But Beckham has admitted that he has always wanted to convince Messi to move to the US and even joked about it during dinner ten years ago.

'It all came from a conversation over a glass of wine at dinner. I turn to Jorge (Mas, Inter Miami's managing owner) and say, "One day, we need Messi to come to our club". It was probably when we first met. 

'I actually found on my phone the other day one of the first presentations that (advertising agency) Doubleday & Cartwright did — they mocked up one of the jerseys with the logo on and Leo was wearing it. That was 10 years ago. So it was always in my mind. 

'I suppose every owner of a sports franchise thinks, "We want to bring the best players to our club". Does it happen for everyone? Of course not. But we were sat at dinner and we were like, "OK, if we could bring Leo for our market, for our fans, for this part of the world, there’s no one better".'

David Beckham, a former player for Manchester United, has urged the Glazer family to end the takeover dispute this summer and made suggestions about a potential future position at the team.

Also Read: A recap of David Beckham’s illustrious football career

However, Beckham revealed details about a prior club of his and the ownership structure

'Off the field, as a fan and ex-player, I just want it resolved. There has to be a decision (regarding the ownership),' he said.

'Whoever is running your club, you want them to be passionate, be involved, make the right decisions, bring in the right players and invest in the club. Because the club does need investment, whether it's the training facility, stadium, on the field… these kinds of big things need to be made and changes do need to happen, especially when you see the likes of Man City and what they're doing.'

'I think so.  I think it's purely because the fans want it. Once you lose the fans, especially at a club like Manchester United, it's hard to get them back. 

Beckham reveals how he sacked Phil Neville

 'Yes, we have a great brand, but the most important thing is what we do on the pitch. Unfortunately as an owner, you realise you have to make tough decisions. We had Diego Alonso in the first season and scraped through to the play-offs (by finishing 10th in the 14-club Eastern Conference).

'I thought it was the right time to make a change. I felt culturally we weren't quite there and I went back to my roots. I went back to what I know and to thinking, 'We need someone in this building who is going to be over everything — turn up at 6am and leave at 7pm, work, bring a culture and give everything, not just to Inter Miami, but to the city and really dive in with his family. That's exactly what Phil did.'

'I'm not embarrassed because we've come a long way and I've realised things of value can take time to build. But I want to be better, I don't want to look at the league table and always think, 'Are we going to win tonight?'. 

'Because I spend most of my time in London, I'm sat up at 2am watching the games and when we lose it's frustrating. I don't enjoy being bottom of the league, I want better results, but I do also understand that there needs to be a certain amount of patience.

'I said to Jorge (Mas, Inter Miami owner) from day one: the reason Manchester United were so successful is because there was stability. I had one manager throughout my whole career there and that stability runs through the whole club. So when we bring a coach in, I feel that coach should be here for the next 10 years. That's the way that we're going to have success.'

Beckham confirms Inter Miami also have plans to make women's team

The co-owners of Inter Miami and David Beckham have long-standing aspirations to establish a women's squad.

His intention to create a women's team has been inspired by Beckham's daughter Harper.Inter Miami would associate with women's teams like other MLS teams do.

The creation of a women's team by Inter Miami CF has been confirmed by David Beckham. Since they originally acquired the franchise, Beckham and co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas have discussed this initiative.

The former England international said that his desire to start a women's squad was influenced by his daughter, Harper.

This declaration demonstrates Beckham's dedication to supporting women's football and motivating younger generations. The expansion of women's football in the United States would be further bolstered by Inter Miami CF joining other MLS teams with connections to women's teams.

The former Man United player acknowledged that he might be interested in a position with the team under the current management.

'I have a lot going on here at the moment and my focus has purely been on Miami and everything that goes on in my business,' he said. 'But I haven't been approached and I suppose any involvement with Manchester United would mean the world to me, going forward. 

'But who knows? We'll see what happens in the next few weeks or months. 

'Hopefully, a decision gets made and if I'm involved in any way… if not, I'll be a United fan and just do what all the other fans are doing — turn up and watch our team.'